Coca-Cola Orders 120 New Hybrid Trucks; Eaton’s Largest NA Commercial Order to Date

27 February 2008

Coca-Cola Enterprises will purchase 120 new trucks in 2008 that are powered by Eaton’s hybrid electric drivetrain systems. The Coca-Cola order represents the largest North American commercial order to date for Eaton’s hybrid systems and follows the beverage company’s purchase of 20 trucks with Eaton hybrid power systems in 2007.

Coca-Cola hybrid electric delivery truck.

Testing and evaluations conducted by Coca-Cola Enterprises found that Eaton’s hybrid-electric drivetrain-equipped trucks decreased emissions by roughly 32% and fuel consumption by up to 37% as compared to conventionally-powered trucks in Coca-Cola’s current fleet. Coca-Cola also reported lower maintenance costs on the hybrid-powered trucks.

Eaton has been working with Coca-Cola Enterprises since 2003 on the assessment of the systems.

In addition to the environmentally friendly advantages that hybrid vehicles deliver, we are also happy to report that driver acceptance has been highly favorable, especially in high start-and-stop applications. The hybrid drive units have been performing very well in communicating with the electronic engines, always giving us the necessary torque and horsepower when it is needed.

Comments

You see, it takes big businesses making a drastically different choice to the traditional approach for things to happen. That is fantastic news. I was also pleased to hear that Youngman Automobile Group will be bringing 1,000 CNG buses to the US during 2008. These new buses will have there final assembly completed in California and be sold through ZAP!. I like what I am starting to see with regards to the heavy vehicle and mass transit industries shift towards eco-friendly propulsion!

Even large corporations that make huge profits know a good thing when they see it. Amory Lovins of rmi.org has been consulting with industry for a while showing them where they can save money by saving energy.

The added plus is the green PR factor. This might do more to improve the companies world image than a lot of expensive ads would. In fact, they could use it in their ads..."I want to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony..." (an old Coke ad :)

ditto for RMI - I don't know what they have to do with anything related to Eaton's hybrid system.

I have yet to see mass production of their pie-in-the-sky aluminum-composite 'hypercar', or 'hyper-hype'!

Eaton's approach is diametrically opposite (minimal investment requirement, get the most out of the least hardware addition, and focus on robustness and manufacturability) to RMI's suggested approach (reinvent everything regardless of investment or manufacturability / robustness implications).

When you consider hybrid drives, they are nothing new, they have been known about for a long time. We did not use them because they were more expensive and fuel was cheap. We are now trading hardware for energy when the price of fuel is rising. This could be a good thing, but will take a while.